bdmetronews Desk ॥ A school district in Virginia temporarily suspended the use of two classic American novels after a concerned mother complained about the racial slurs in them.
The novels in question are “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee and “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” by Mark Twain. Scholars hold both books in high regard for their literary merit and the anti-racist themes that were progressive for their respective eras.
Nevertheless, both novels have been repeatedly challenged in school libraries over the years for the books’ frequent use of the N word, which appears 219 times in “Huckleberry Finn” and 48 times in “To Kill a Mockingbird.” Both books rank among the most banned and challenged in U.S. history.
In the latest case, a parent of a child in Accomack County Public Schools filed a “Request for Reconsideration of Learning Resources” form challenging the use of both books in the school curriculum after speaking at a school board meeting last month, CBS affiliate WTVR reported Thursday.
On Nov. 15, she told the school board that her child is biracial and that he’s having trouble reading past one page that has the N word on it seven times. She suggested that the students read other books because assigning “Huckleberry Finn,” she argued, “validates that these words are acceptable.”
